Cabinet Reshuffle

October 29, 2012 12:38 am

Seven Cabinet, 2 independent charges and 13 attached ministers of state were sworn-in the third and biggest reshuffle in the Union Ministry. But there was nothing like inducted to young brigade as hinted by the outgoing cabinet minister Mr.SM Krishna. Seven Ministers as dropped and three Ministers of State K Rehman, Ajay Makan, Ashwini Kumar, and Mrs.Chandresh Kumar Katoch were upgraded. Out of 22 ministers 21 are from Congress and one Tarik Anwar from NCP replacing Agatha Sangma the daughter of Mr.PA Sangma who unsuccessfully contested the Presidential Poll. The names of Minakshi Natrajan and Arun Yadav were in circulation but it proved to be just guess.

Mr.Kamalnath and Mr.Jyotiraditya Scindia are already there from Madhya Pradesh. The biggest chunk of 6 ministers are from Andhra Pradesh to maintain balance between three regions of the state. The coastal Andhra, Rayalseema and Telengana. The situation is very delicate there. The two regions want Andhra as Telegu State must remain united while one region want separate Telangana. The Congress spokesman Mr.Manish Tiwari joined the ministry as independent charge Information Minister to replace Mrs.Ambika Soni, she is likely to be drafted at the AICC Headquarter at Delhi. Mr.SM Krishna who had been Congress Chief Minister of Karnataka will be asked to ensure return of Congress in power there. The rebel Mr.Yeddyurappa has made the position of BJP and its Government very precarious in the state. The Congress wants to take advantage of it. Mr.Subodh Kant Sahay will work to strength the party in Bihar and Jharkhand.

The ousted minister Mr.Shashi Taroor is taken back as minister of State for Human Resources Development.
Mr.Salman Khursheed who had been minister of State for External Affairs some years back will now be cabinet level. Foreign Minister Mr.Pawan Bansal is new Rail Minister along with 2 ministers of state Mr.Satyanarayana and Mr.Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary who is facing charge of double murder in West Bengal.
The Prime Minister Mr.Manmohan Singh said he always wanted Mr.Rahul Gandhi in the cabinet, but he is more inclined towards party work. He agreed the party needed to be strengthened much more.
He said Lok Sabha polls will be held on due date and not earlier. DMK has not put forward the names for induction in place of Mr.A Raja and Mr.Dayanidhi Maran who were asked to resign on gave charges against them. The DM< is under compulsion to be with UPA. In case it decides to quit Jayalalitha will extend the support of AIADMK to the ruling alliance. After losing powers in Tamil Nadu Mr.Karunanidhi will not risk to losing it at the Centre also.
New political alignment are showing sign of new formations. Mr.Mulayam Singh Yadav of Samajwadi Party has openly invited the Left Parties to join him in forming the Third Front for the Lok Sabha polls. There are possibilities of Nitish Kumar of Janta Dal United of Bihar and Biju Janata Dal of Mr.Naveen Patnaik to Odisha may align with UPA at the time of polls.
The Cabinet Reshuffle is exercise in balancing the different regions and it was in no way a youth orientation.